These little sunbirds have amazing colour combinations. I use a product which has a mix – sucrose, glucose and fructose with a probiotic which was specifically designed for their needs. A couple of drops of red food colourant attracts them to the bottles. There are fewer flowers out now with the drought really kicking in hard putting the vegetation under strain.

Hi Dave, it’s a Salvia leucantha – I think the ‘Midnight’ variety. Though we have indigenous local species – 26 in Southern Africa, this one I believe is off Mexican origin. A perennial, hardy and drought resistant. Rewarding too to grow from slip. The sunbirds love the nectar.

Yes that they are! Little jewels and in such a gorgeous array of iridescent colour. I have yet to get photos that truly define that depth of colour and variation. Like the nap of silk woven cloth which catches light differently in varying angles 🙂

Welcome!

Meet the wild creatures living along the urban edge at the southern end of the Cape Peninsula (Cape Town) South Africa. From African penguins at Boulders Beach to the smallest of mammals, the rare Pygmy mouse; daily visitors include mongoose, porcupine, genet, otters, and dassies. Shy caracal (lynx) keep a low profile but fulfill the role of predator. Not least are the charismatic Chacma baboons, a dynamic part of the urban edge fauna. The backdrop is the rich floral heritage of the Cape Floral Kingdom including fabulous bird and insect species.